Questions everywhere?
These days, how do you dismiss an ad or a politician, or whoever or whatever pops up and occupies your computer screen, or mailbox, electronic or otherwise? And did that answer in the form of a package or letter or even air waves — coming from a pol or a pool? — ever actually arrive? Maybe it never will? And surely not written with a quill.
And due to such questions, these days cast our vote. Do we question even, oh Bruce Almighty, or maybe, God? OK, we know He is the supreme leader and being. But hey, is God Dead and if so, who replaces Him? Just what approval rating would you give Him for His role in overseeing, and some would say allowing, all the warring and defense and unrest (that hey, granted He didn’t have much of a hand in starting) and all the general mayhem in our world and economy, both at home and abroad. I’d give Him a “fair” at best, rating — or a 3 of 10, maybe 2?
Hey, with election day just passed, let’s raise it to at least a 4! For all our leaders, in this time of historic lows.
So, some offbeat commentary follows on how it’s harder, even in our privileged area, to negotiate the world! First, there is that construction that is slowing traffic on Interstate 94 to mostly one stop-and-go lane throughout the city of Hudson through basically the whole summer, and meaning you’ll at times literally see a line consisting of two ULine trucks, to pick one semi brand, following each other through the maze — and one wonders if the state DOT, though they are not in direct control, as is not the city — has gotten complaints about the slow-down? Haha, want that secretary job?
More people are reporting that things don’t arrive at their doorsteps, putting other people out, and though, again not directly related, there are about triple the number of people I have seen going online asking for aid, and if you help there is a PayPal fee, though small, that you don’t see right away as “billed,” and you might not notice that it’s not disclosed it’s part of a “pool,” and this showcases the need.
There are supply shortages all around, such as only getting some needed medication of mine on-time for my Tourette’s about nine months of the year, that’s about three-fourths of the time that passes. (How would you like that for your insulin?) That factors in that there is not always the accurate form of a generic that suits my anxiety best. So I write about elections! Who can fix the flow?
I saw another “sign” — on the back of a four-foot-wide-construction marker in the heart of the city, which is in the heart of the county and has an Associated Press reporting number for my call-in of 50056, in the given “area” code, on election day — and it was in the form of a two-foot-high question mark written in ink, (or was it paint?) I also saw two other smaller punctuation ones on a smaller sign? OK, don’t need that question mark there.
But we still question.
So …
Now you’ll see the marks given to some regional politicians. (These are new election figures, some of them listed here first, by HudsonWiNightlife. But I’ll make you wade through the other stuff first.) So, now you’ll read about the (some would say upset) recent state primary win by Gov. candidate David Crowley, (in St. Croix County 3,312 votes which was 91 less than that of Francesca Hong.) It is being said to, for another time now, shake up the degree of left-leaning in the Democratic party, in particular in our state. In our county, the vote played out this way:
The last name of Nate Pollnow was certainly applicable to the running for, and of this election, via the vote on Aug. 11, with 2,964 votes to place second for GOP secretary of state.
But notable in this low-turn, turnout-vote-cycle in the county was governor, GOP “red” man Tom Tiffany as the only one over ten thousand votes, by four, and vying for running mate were David Varnam with 4,764 and also as a potential lieutenant governor were Will Martin with 4,744. The 15 write-ins could have almost made up the difference.
Keeping it county, and keeping it running red, for GOP secretary of state, came Jay Schoeder with 4,193 — we covered Nate Pollnow — then Cindy Werner (1,297), and Brayden Myer (1,054).
In GOP, Representative for Congress, Dist. 7, Michael Alfonso a whopping 5,369, then Kevin Hermening, (who we profiled earlier), 2,139, Jessi Ebben, (also covered), 1,825, Don Raihala, and Niina (double eye) Baum, 363.
Democrat governor hopefuls, after Hong and Crowley, were dropping under hundred, Keida Roys (799), Sara Rodriguez, (586), way back Mandela Barnes, (481), Joe Brennan, (419), and bare scratching double digits, Missy Hughes, (101), with only one write-in.
Dems for rep in District 7, more evenly distributed, are Chris Armstrong, (3,290), Ginger Murray (2,637), and Fred Clark, (2,460).
Amongst other parties, each with two votes were Con Gov, Lib Gov, Lib state treasurer, Lib Rep Seven, Lib Rep Ass(em) Dist. 28 as we won’t go there, and one each, Lib clerk of circuit court, WGR sec of state and WGR clerk of circuit court, WGR Ass(em) 28, LIB Ass(em) Dist. 30, LIB sheriff, LIB clerk of circuit court and WGN sec of state.
Also notable were GOP for sheriff, 31 write-ins.